Simple Memo vs Drafts
Which Should You Choose?
The key difference is destination flexibility. Drafts is a universal text hub that sends text to any app via Actions. Simple Memo is laser-focused on email delivery — no destination to choose, just type and send in 0.3 seconds.
After comparing Drafts' Actions and Simple Memo's one-tap send for a week each, I confirmed that if your goal is only email delivery, Simple Memo feels over 2 seconds faster by eliminating the Action selection step.
What is Drafts?
Drafts by Agile Tortoise is an Apple-exclusive text input app. Its concept "Where text starts" means it opens with the cursor ready. Written text can be sent to email, Messages, Twitter, Notion, Obsidian, and more via its powerful Actions system. Basic features are free; Pro costs $2.99/month ($19.99/year).
Drafts Actions vs Email Send: Speed Comparison
Drafts' Actions system is powerful for sending text to various apps. But when email delivery is the sole goal, that versatility actually adds steps. Here's a real-world timeline comparison.
Sending email via Drafts: Launch app (0.5s) → type text → tap Actions button → select "Mail" from action list → confirm recipient and subject → tap send. Total: 3-5 seconds of post-typing interaction. Custom actions can shorten this, but setting them up takes 10-15 minutes.
Sending email via Simple Memo: Launch app (0.3s) → type text → one-tap send (150ms). That's it. No action selection, no recipient confirmation, no setup needed. If you take 10 memos per day, that's roughly 3 hours of interaction time saved per year.
Comparison Table
| Feature | Simple Memo | Drafts |
|---|---|---|
| Launch Speed | 0.3s | 0.5s (comparable) |
| Email Send | One-tap direct send | Via Actions |
| Pricing | Free (3 sends/day) | Free (Pro $2.99/mo) |
| Offline Support | Outbox auto-resend | Local storage |
| Encryption | AES-GCM (on-device) | iCloud encryption |
| Actions | None (email only) | Extensive (customizable) |
| Apple Watch | No | Supported |
| Setup Complexity | Zero configuration | Action setup required |
3 Philosophical Differences
- 1Output Design: Actions vs Email Delivery
Drafts lives up to its "Where text starts" concept by routing text to Notion, Slack, and dozens of other apps via Actions. Simple Memo is fully dedicated to email delivery. No destination to choose means zero cognitive load from capture to completion. - 2Customization: JavaScript vs Zero Configuration
Drafts lets power users build custom Actions with JavaScript. Simple Memo requires setting your email address once — you never need to open a settings screen again. For those who do not want to spend time on configuration, Simple Memo is the clear choice. - 3Pricing: Drafts Pro $49.99/yr vs Simple Memo - Captio-style $5/mo
Drafts' full feature set requires Pro ($49.99/year). Simple Memo is free for 3 sends/day, with Premium at $5/month. If email delivery is your only goal, Simple Memo offers better value.
Who Should Choose Which?
- Only want email delivery
- Want zero configuration
- Need a Captio replacement
- Want AES-GCM encryption
- Prefer minimal UI
- Send text to multiple apps
- Love action automation
- Input from Apple Watch
- Edit in markdown
- Build text processing workflows
When to Use Drafts
Simple Memo specializes in email delivery, but Drafts is genuinely better in these scenarios. When you need to route text to multiple apps, Drafts' Action system is incredibly powerful.
- 1Multi-App Text Routing
Drafts' Action system can automatically send written text to Notion databases, Obsidian daily notes, Trello cards, Twitter DMs, and virtually any app. For those whose text destinations extend beyond email, Drafts' Actions are unmatched. - 2Voice Input from Apple Watch
Drafts supports Apple Watch, enabling voice input directly from your wrist. For hands-busy situations (cooking, driving, working out), Drafts is overwhelmingly convenient. Simple Memo does not support Apple Watch. - 3Markdown Editing and Complex Text Processing
Drafts offers Markdown preview, syntax highlighting, and custom keyboard bars for text editing and manipulation. Regex text transformations and JavaScript Actions enable programmable text processing that goes far beyond simple capture.
Migration Guide: Drafts to Simple Memo
This guide is for those tired of Drafts' Action configuration complexity, or seeking the simplicity of "just send to email" as a Captio replacement. If email delivery is your primary use case, Simple Memo is the ideal destination.
- 1Download Simple Memo from the App Store
The free version allows up to 3 sends per day. No special migration steps from Drafts are needed. Just install and set your email address. - 2Review Your Usage Patterns in Drafts
Check your Drafts inbox and analyze where you have been sending text. If over 80% goes to email, the migration to Simple Memo will be very smooth. If you frequently use other Actions (Notion, Trello, etc.), consider keeping Drafts alongside. - 3Configure Simple Memo's Email Destination
Set the same email address you used in Drafts' email Action. Your existing email folder structure and filters remain fully compatible. - 4Run Both Apps in Parallel for One Week
Keep both Drafts and Simple Memo installed for the first week. Use Simple Memo when you want to send email, Drafts when you need other Actions. Compare the experience directly. - 5Complete the Migration if Email is Primary
After one week, if your Drafts inbox is nearly empty, that is your signal for full migration. Cancel your Drafts subscription and consolidate to Simple Memo alone, saving costs in the process.
FAQ
How does Drafts' email Action differ from Simple Memo?
Drafts' Mail Action requires selecting and executing an action after writing your text. Simple Memo completes the send in 150ms with a single tap. The absence of action selection eliminates cognitive overhead, which adds up significantly when sending multiple memos daily.
Do I need Drafts' Workspace feature?
Drafts Workspaces are powerful for organizing text with tags and filters, but require Pro ($49.99/year). If your goal is email delivery, Simple Memo's send-and-forget approach eliminates the need for organization entirely. Choose Drafts if you want to categorize text, Simple Memo if you want to capture and move on.
Why not just use Drafts' built-in email Action?
Drafts has a default Mail Action, but executing it requires selecting the action manually. When offline, text accumulates in Drafts' inbox and you must re-run actions manually when connectivity returns. Simple Memo's Outbox architecture auto-resends offline memos, providing reliability without manual intervention.
Is migrating from Drafts to Simple Memo as a Captio replacement easy?
Yes. Simple Memo follows the same "type and auto-send" philosophy as Captio. If you were manually executing email Actions in Drafts, switching to Simple Memo gives you one-tap sending immediately. Just configure your email address and you are done.
